Power Toilets / UN

Power Toilets is a permanent public art work erected on a beach in the recreation area Park van Luna in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands. The interior of the lavatory building is a copy of the toilets used by the members of the United Nations Security Council in the UN headquarters in New York, identical in detail to that of the sanitary facilities at one of the most secure buildings in the world. Typical for the 1950's corporate style the design includes marble, big mirrors, stainless steel, yellow ceramic tiles, grey anthracite mosaic floor tiles and American Standard appliances. Power Toilets was designed in close collaboration with NEZU AYMO architects. Originally commissioned by DRFTWD office associates for the municipality of Heerhugowaard in 2004. It was accomplished in 2010 with support from the province of Noord-Holland and SKOR, Foundation Art and Public Space. Contractors: Bouwbedrijf Gerrits & Sinnige b.v. and Sculpfiction.

SUPERFLEX/POWER TOILETS Location: Park van Luna, Strand van Luna beach, Heerhugowaard An unusual lavatory building has been erected on a beach in the new recreation area Park van Luna in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands. The Danish art collective SUPERFLEX, led by Jakob Fenger, Rasmus Nielsen and Bjørnstjerne Christiansen, has built Power Toilets that is an exact copy of the lavatories from the United Nations Headquarter in New York. The exterior has an irregular shape like it was cut out of the building in New York. The look is timeless without any particular style except that the doors are identical with the doors to the toilets in UN. Based on photographs taken secretly with cellphones, the interior is identical in detail to that of the sanitary facilities at one of the most secure buildings in the world – typical for the 1950's corporate style the design includes marble, big mirrors, stainless steel, yellow ceramic tiles, grey anthracite mosaic floor tiles and American Standard appliances. The interior appears to have been moved intact from the UN to this new development in Noord-Holland even including small signs with phone numbers to that technical department of the UN in New York. The UN building in New York was the result of the collaborative efforts of a multinational team of leading architects. When completed in 1952, it stood as a symbol of unity after the Second World War and has since hosted many historic aspirations, speeches, debates and gatherings of world leaders. Bathers and waterskier's at Park van Luna are now free to use the same toilets as the world’s most powerful leaders. Power Toilets is a project created by the Danish artist group SUPERFLEX and realised in close collaboration with NEZU AYMO architects. Originally commissioned by DRFTWD office associates for the municipality of Heerhugowaard in 2004. It was accomplished in 2010 with support from the province of Noord-Holland and SKOR, Foundation Art and Public Space. Contractors: Bouwbedrijf Gerrits & Sinnige b.v. and Sculpfiction. Special thanks to Christie Arends.